Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Solid Waste Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Fort Hays request to waive landfill branch fees denied as commission upholds secure-load policy
Summary
A Fort Hays State University representative asked Ellis County to waive branch-dump fees tied to a new secure-load policy. County staff explained residential dumping is paid via a city utility charge and commercial users are not covered; commissioners declined the exception and said the secure-load policy will be enforced.
A Fort Hays State University representative asked the Ellis County Commission on Jan. 20 to waive landfill branch fees for university maintenance operations that periodically deliver brush and branches to county facilities.
Justin Craig, the county’s environmental services director, told commissioners the city of Hays pays a monthly landfill fee (about $1,200) that is included in residential utility billing so city residents may dump without per-load charges. He said the county’s secure-load policy, adopted to ensure loads are weighed and appropriate fees assessed to commercial and nonresidential users, is published online but there is no site signage.
Commissioners questioned whether the university’s activity should qualify as residential; Craig said the university would be treated as nonresident/commercial under the policy because the city subsidizes only its residents. Several commissioners argued that allowing an exception would invite other nonprofits or groups to seek waivers and undermine the secure-load objective. The commission indicated it would follow the existing policy and did not approve a one-off waiver.
Why it matters: The exchange clarifies how the county distinguishes between residential and nonresidential users for landfill fee waivers and underscores the commission’s intent to apply the secure-load policy consistently to preserve fairness and landfill revenue.
Next steps: Commissioners asked staff to continue public information efforts so residents and community groups understand the policy and upcoming sales-tax changes that affect county revenue planning.
